Tom Harrison Announces Release of 'Unfolding In Tempo'
Turaco Music is pleased to announce the release of Tom Harrison's second album 'Unfolding In Tempo' in partnership with Lyte Records. The long-awaited live album documents two nights of Harrison’s hugely successful national tour of February 2016 which received high praise from the media, including features on BBC1, in Time Out and Jazzwise Magazine.
'Unfolding in Tempo' is a joyful celebration of the music of the jazz legend Duke Ellington and his long-time collaborator Billy Strayhorn. Harrison has hand-picked an all-star cast of British jazz musicians to interpret the compositions, each of whom brings a unique voice to the musical palette. The band features internationally recognised vocal star Cleveland Watkiss, whose credits include, Stevie Wonder, The Who and many more, as well as MOBO nominee David Lyttle and Steinway artist Robert Mitchell. Together the group create stunning interpretations of both popular and lesser-known masterpieces, including Solitude, The Intimacy of The Blues and Take the ‘A’ Train.
Reimagining the work of a master is a daunting task for any artist, but Harrison has embraced this challenge head on, allowing the personalities of the musicians in his band to come to the fore;
"Like all jazz musicians I grew up listening to Ellington. In preparing for this project, I spent a long time studying as much of his music as possible. It's very intimidating to try to develop music that already has such a strong history and identity. I haven’t tried to reinvent the music, I'm trying to capture the feeling behind Duke’s songs, what they’re about, what they mean to me, and build a performance on that."
The multi-award-winning vocalist Cleveland Watkiss is no stranger to the music of Ellington either, having performed it with a huge range of artists and ensembles across his career;
"Duke Ellington is the daddy of our music. I've performed his work many times, but in this setting I can explore his music with a freedom I've never had before. When the music starts, anything can happen!"
Cleveland Watkiss
The result of this on-stage spontaneity, is a live album that remains faithful to the roots of Ellington's music, but strives to challenge and develop the master's work in an eccentric style all its own.
Here's a bonus track from the album that we've uploaded to Youtube. Tom Harrison and Robert Mitchell play Billy Strayhorn's Chelsea Bridge, live at the legendary Pizza Express Jazz Club on Dean St, Soho
Links to interviews and live reviews of Tom's project are included below;
Tom Harrison Jazzwise Interview
Jazzwise Review: Live @ Kenilworth Jazz Society 1st February 2016
UK Vibe Review: Live @ Pizza Express Jazz Club 3rd February 2016
Bristol Jazz Log Review: Live @ Hen & Chicken Theatre 31st January 2016
Cheltenham Jazz Review: Live @ The Everyman Theatre 8th February 2016